Your Flaws Make You Perfect
by stephfarrow94
Summary: After a particularly bad bout of illness, Unohana orders Jushiro to rest. Rukia 'convinces' him to spend a few days with Ichigo to get away from the stress of Captain's duties, but what will happen when Ichigo discovers he has feelings for the older Shinigami? Yaoi, IchiUki
1. Chapter 1

"You want me to _what?"_ Kurosaki Ichigo's eyes widened. His best friend just sighed as she repeated herself.

"I said I want you to take Captain Ukitake out in the living world for a few days." Kuchiki Rukia had a dangerous tone in her voice, just daring the blond to argue.

"W-why?!" It wasn't that Ichigo didn't like the white-haired Captain; he just didn't understand why this was being asked of him. "He's a Captain! Surely he's too busy to-!"

"As his lieutenant, I'll take care of everything while he's gone," Rukia said. "He's been overworking himself and it's not good for his health. Captain Unohana recommended him take a few days off and I say he should be with you."

"Did you even give him a choice in this matter...?" Ichigo deadpanned.

"Of course not! He'd insist on saying and doing his Captain's duties."

Ichigo sighed. "You can't be serious..."

"I am, Ichigo!" Rukia growled. "Take this seriously! He's making himself worse! It's either this, or leave him in Soul Society where he will continue to do his work one way or another and wind up in the Fourth again!"

Ichigo didn't want the gentle Captain to be hospitalized, so he nodded. "Fine, but I have school, Rukia. What am I meant to do with him there?"

Bring him with you," Rukia suggested. "He won't cause you any problems."

"I know..." Ichigo sighed. "Why do I feel like I'm going to regret this...?"

_**Several hours later~~**_

It wasn't surprising to find that Ukitake Jyuushiro had been escorted personally to Ichigo's home by Rukia herself. It was actually surprising that it had been her and not the two third seats that couldn't agree on a single thing; Ichigo wondered how Rukia had talked them into staying behind when they were always two steps behind Jyuushiro himself.

"I don't understand why we entered through Ichigo-kun's bedroom window and not the front door." Jyuushiro's eyebrows furrowed slightly as he tried to comprehend their actions.

"Don't worry about it, Ukitake-San," Ichigo reassured. "I'm used to it. Just put your bag down by the bed, okay? We'll need to tell my dad that you're staying here."

Jyuushiro did as he was told and placed his bag down by the bed in a gentle manner. He followed Rukia and Ichigo out of the bedroom and down the stairs.

They walked into the kitchen and stopped by the table where Ichigo's family were sitting. They looked up at Ichigo before their eyes found Rukia.

Isshin jumped to his feet, completely disregarding Jyuushiro, and pulled Rukia into a hug. He rubbed his cheek against hers and cried about how he had missed her. Karin rolled her eyes and Yuzu just watched in curiosity.

"Dad, can you let go of her?" Ichigo asked in a frustrated tone. When he was ignored, he raised his fist and aimed a powerful punch into his father's face.

Isshin pulled away, glaring at Ichigo. "What was that for?!"

"You wouldn't listen to me!" Ichigo shouted, raising his fist again.

"Can you please not fight...?" Jyuushiro's soft voice spoke, his eyes full of uncertainty.

Isshin looked at the white-haired Soul Reaper in surprise, not having realised there was someone else in the house with them. "Who are you?"

Before Jyuushiro could speak, Rukia cut in. "He's a family friend, but..." the girl pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket, preparing another dramatic act. "...his parents moved overseas and he got left behind, so he has nowhere to go! The house his parents had left behind for him got set on fire by arsonists and he can't live with me because we don't have any room and he doesn't have any other friends! He's sick and he's all alone in this world!"

By now, Rukia's fake tears had Isshin crying. The man was hugging Rukia, nodding rapidly. "Yes! Yes, I'll take him in! By Gods I'll take him in! It's so sad!"

Ichigo just rolled his eyes and beckoned for Jyuushiro to follow him. The Captain did so, a small smile on his face.

"She's quite the actress, isn't she?" Jyuushiro commented as he climbed the stairs after Ichigo.

"Oh, please." Ichigo just waved his hand in a dismissive manner.

Jyuushiro laughed. "Thank you for letting me stay with you, Ichigo-kun. I'm sorry to have to be a bother but Rukia was very adamant in this."

"You're not a bother, Ukitake-san." Ichigo opened the door to his bedroom. He stepped in and closed the door after the frail man entered next.

Jyuushiro was as cheerful as ever, his bright smile widening as he observed the room. He sat down at the desk, spinning the chair to face Ichigo. "I rarely go to the Living World. I don't get sent here a lot due to my health. They would rather keep me close to the Division Four barracks."

"When was the last time you were here?" Ichigo sat on the bed and folded his legs, observing the other male.

"Perhaps about a hundred or so years ago. I can only come here with Shunsui."

"Times have really changed since then, Ukitake-san." Ichigo smiled. "I've got a lot to teach you in your time here."

"Thank you, Ichigo-kun. I –"

Ichigo jumped to his feet as Jyuushiro started coughing. He looked around, not sure what to do. He had personally never witnessed one of Ukitake's attacks and knew only what Rukia had told him. What should he do?

At that moment, the door burst open and Rukia ran in, holding the same handkerchief she had back in the kitchen. She approached her Captain and gently pried his now-bloodied hands away, dabbing at his mouth.

Jyuushiro didn't speak until he had stopped coughing. He regarded the hanky Rukia was holding with a look of disgust before he smiled at his lieutenant.

"Thank you, Rukia-kun." Jyuushiro's smile was bright, almost as if he hadn't just been coughing up blood. "I apologise for you having to look after me again. And I'm sorry you had to see that, Ichigo-kun, but at least now you'll know that it was only me coughing if you find blood on your belongings. I will replace anything I damage with my illness."

Ichigo shook his head. "It's fine, Ukitake-san. It's not your fault. Just relax."

Rukia put a hand on Jyuushiro's shoulder. "Take your medicine and go to sleep, okay, Captain? You've got a big day ahead of you tomorrow and you need to rest."

"I'm fine." Jyuushiro's smile didn't falter once.

"No, you're not. Go and get your medicine or I'll get it for you." When Jyuushiro didn't move, Rukia sighed and moved to the bag sitting by the bed. She unzipped the small pocket on the side and pulled out a small packet before she handed it to Ukitake. "Now take those. And there had better not be any paperwork in your bag, either. I'll be checking it before I leave."

"Hey, who's the captain here?" Jyuushiro's green eyes fixed Rukia with a mock-stern gaze, his happy expression ever present.

Rukia bit her lip and looked away, a small blush coating her cheeks. "Sorry, Captain Ukitake."

"It's alright, Rukia-kun. Ichigo-kun, may I have a glass of water, please?"

Ichigo left to get the ill Shinigami some water. When he returned a few minutes later, he was just in time to see Rukia waving about several sheets of paper and berating Jyuushiro about smuggling paperwork into the Living World when he was supposed to be resting.

The Captain accepted the glass with a cheerful thank you before he swallowed his medication. He beamed at Rukia and Ichigo, happy as could be. The man was always so happy and optimistic despite his illness that would one day end up claiming his life.

"I'm going back to Soul Society now, Captain Ukitake." Rukia smiled at her superior, knowing that he was in safe hands. "Don't worry about your paperwork; I've got it for you, okay?"

Jyuushiro nodded. "I appreciate it, Rukia-kun."

Rukia left not long later through the window. Ichigo checked his watch, finding that it was nearing eleven o'clock at night. He sighed and stood up, moving to grab some pyjamas from his drawers.

"You should put some pyjamas on and go to bed," Ichigo called over his shoulder. "I'm sure you're tired."

"I'm usually in bed by now, yes," Jyuushiro agreed. "My medicine knocks me out pretty easily, but I feel pretty good. I would like to stay up and talk with you, Ichigo-kun."

"I'm pretty tired, and I have school tomorrow," Ichigo said as he pulled his shirt off and replaced it with his pyjama top. "Besides; you'll need to get up early as well and come with me."

Jyuushiro nodded. "I understand." He moved to grab his bag and opened it, reaching in to pull out pyjamas. He turned around and changed, slightly embarrassed about being seen naked in front of someone; the only person who sees his body was Shunsui.

When Jyuushiro turned back around and put his clothing into his bag, he smiled brightly again.  
"Where am I sleeping, Ichigo-kun?"

"There's a spare futon under the bed." Ichigo reached under the bed and pulled out the futon. It took only a few seconds to roll it out, and he left the room briefly to return with a few blankets.

Jyuushiro was already lying down by the time Ichigo had returned, as cheerful as ever. He gratefully accepted the blankets that were laid down on top of him and snuggled in close, resting on his side.

"Goodnight, Ichigo-kun," Jyuushiro called as he felt sleep coming to claim him.

"Night, Ukitake-san..." Ichigo mumbled as he climbed into his own bed. He switched off the lamp, but he was unable to sleep. He glanced down at Ukitake after a few minutes of restlessness, smiling softly at how peaceful the white-haired man looked.


	2. Chapter 2

When Ichigo awoke that morning, it was because Jyuushiro was coughing his lungs up. He sat up and looked at the older male, concerned to see the small blobs of blood slipping past Ukitake's fingers. He grabbed the box of tissues from the bedside table and handed them to Jyuushiro.

Jyuushiro took them gratefully, holding them to his mouth until the last of his coughs vanished. He then wiped his hand clean, a frown on his face. "I'm sorry for waking you, Ichigo-kun..."

Ichigo shook his head. He got off his bed and moved to sit on the futon beside the ill Shinigami. He put his hand on Jyuushiro's shoulder. "It's not your fault, Ukitake-san. I understand you're sick. That's not your fault; you shouldn't have to suffer like this."

Jyuushiro smiled at the boy as he handed the tissue box back. "Thank you, Ichigo-kun. May I use your bath?"

"Why not just use the shower?" Ichigo questioned.

"Oh, no, no!" Jyuushiro insisted as he stood up, tugging absentmindedly at his clothes. "Shunsui and I grew up without showers and they're only a recent instalment within the Seireitei and quite honestly, I..." Jyuushiro travelled off, a small blush coating his cheeks. "...I do not know how to use a shower."

"Well, all you need to do is turn the taps, just like in a bath," Ichigo explained.

"I believe I'll just stick with a bath." Jyuushiro smiled pleasantly, his cheeks bright red. "I am confident in my ability to bathe safely and not require assistance to work it."

Ichigo couldn't help but laugh. "Alright. But you'd better be quick, because I need a shower myself. We've only got an hour before we need to leave for school."

"Okay. What should I wear?"

"Something nice. The school will give you a uniform there."

Jyuushiro tilted his head. "I don't understand? Why would they let me enrol if I am not a resident?"

"They let Rukia in." Ichigo shrugged. "Among many others who never stayed."

"Ah." Jyuushiro's happy smile returned as he clapped his hands together in childish glee. "I see. I'm going to take my bath now, Ichigo-kun; I won't take too long."

Ichigo nodded as he stood up and headed out of the bedroom. Jyuushiro hummed like he was accustomed to as he moved to his bag and unzipped it. He pulled out the clothing he decided he wanted to wear for the morning and headed to the bathroom.

Downstairs, Ichigo was pouring two glasses of orange juice while Yuzu prepared breakfast for everyone.

"Where's dad?" Ichigo asked as he leant against the bench.

"He's at the clinic," Karin said as she sat on the couch, watching the TV. "Where's your friend?"

"He's bathing." Ichigo moved to sit at the table as Yuzu brought over a plate full of eggs and bacon. "He'll be with me at school today, too."

"He looks too old for school," Karin said. "He looks like he's in his late twenties, but the white hair... How old is he?"

Ichigo's eyes widened at this question. It only now just occurred to him that he really didn't have a clue as to how old Ukitake was. "I, uh... don't really know..."

"You don't know how old your friend is?" Yuzu questioned in disbelief.

"Well, I never really thought to ask..." Ichigo said, sweat-dropping. "It never really came up in our conversations, ya know?"

Yuzu and Karin shared a look before they dropped the subject and started on their breakfast.

Ichigo hadn't eaten much before Jyuushiro came down the stairs, wearing s baggy black shirt and jeans that fit snugly on his hips. His hair was wet from his recent shower and his trademark smile was on his face.

"Good morning, everyone!" Jyuushiro's happy voice said as he sat down next to Ichigo. "That was a nice bath. May I have some breakfast, too?"

Ichigo nodded and pushed a plate of food in front of him before he stood up. "I'm having a shower. I'll be down soon and then we'll leave."

Jyuushiro was happy as he ate, talking to Ichigo's sisters. He was having a great time as he waited for Ichigo.

The pale man was so absorbed in talking to the girls he didn't notice when Ichigo came down the stairs and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you ready to go, Ukitake-San?" Ichigo asked, slinging his grey bag over his shoulder.

"Ah!" Jyuushiro sent a large grin Ichigo's way. "Yes, Ichigo-kun. Have a nice day, Yuzu-chan, Karin-chan."

Ichigo started walking, hearing the Captain's chair squeak as it was pushed backwards. The man walked beside him, humming happily as he took in his surroundings.

"Ah, Ichigo-kun!"

Ichigo looked back as his arm was grabbed. "What's wrong, Ukitake-San?"

Ukitake pointed to the red car that was parked a few feet from them. His eyes shone with excitement as he observed the object. "What is that?"

"It's a car," Ichigo explained, giving the gentle Captain the respect and patience he deserved.

"..." Jyuushiro studied it as he hummed in thought. "Ah. I see! It is a car."

Ichigo started walking again, knowing that Jyuushiro was excited about being back in the real world after such a long time.

"Ichigo-kun?"

Ichigo sighed inwardly at the curiosity in Ukitake's voice. "Yes?"

"What does a car do?"

"It takes you places." Ichigo wasn't sure if he had he patience for Ukitake's curiosity, but he knew that Jyuushiro didn't deserve any cruel treatment whatsoever.

"I see." Jyuushiro nodded at his discovery. "...How does it do that? Why aren't we using a car?"

Ichigo clenched his fists slightly. "You sit in it and make it move by pushing on pedals and steering it with a wheel. We aren't using one because I'm not old enough to use one."

Jyuushiro smiled and nodded. His eyes shone brightly as he looked around at the houses and the people they passed.

They arrived at Ichigo's school not long later and headed straight to reception.

"Just go along with what I say, okay?" Ichigo instructed.

"Okay." Jyuushiro flashed a smile at Ichigo as they walked into the reception area.

Jyuushiro stayed quiet as Ichigo talked to what he had been told was the principal; whatever that was. He looked around him, humming every now and then as something Ichigo said pleased him.

Jyuushiro looked up when the principal stood and extended a hand.

"Welcome aboard, Ukitake-San." The man smiled as his hand was taken. "I trust Kurosaki-kun to take care of you."

Jyuushiro nodded, grinning. "I'm sure he will. Thank you, Principal-San."

Ichigo snorted at Jyuushiro's words and grabbed his sleeve, pulling him along before anything more could be said. He had a bundle of clothing in his hand that was Ukitake's new uniform.

"This is very exciting, Ichigo-kun." The pale man clapped his hands together as he had the previous night. "What will we be doing first?"

"Well, first we are going to the bathrooms to change your clothes," Ichigo said. "I'll put your clothing in my locker for you."

"Okay." Jyuushiro walked into the toilets after Ichigo, noting how it was very different from the ones in the academy. Back in his day, they didn't have private stalls or mirrors.

Ichigo handed over the clothing and waited as the Captain disappeared into the cubicle. When they were together again, Jyuushiro admired his new uniform in the mirror before he handed over his normal clothes so that Ichigo could put them in his bag.

"Do I look good in it, Ichigo-kun?" Ukitake asked.

Ichigo nodded, a small feeling of warmth crossing his cheeks.

Jyuushiro smiled and moved, hugging Ichigo. "What do we do next?"

"Well, I'll show you where I will be for the rest of the day in case you need me."

A crestfallen expression crossed Jyuushiro's face, startling Ichigo; the frail Shinigami never frowned.

"You mean..." Jyuushiro's voice was sad, "...we won't be together...?"

"No; I said you were eighteen so they've placed you in the older classes."

"Oh..." A hurt expression crossed the white haired man's face before he smiled again. "That's okay, Ichigo-kun; I guess I'll just have to make more friends if that's the case."

Ichigo smiled back; it was hard to not feel the constant happiness that wafted from the optimistic man. He nodded.

"Good idea. C'mon; I'll show you where my classroom is so that you know where to find me. If anything goes wrong with your sickness, just raise your hand and ask if you can be excused because you're sick. Come and find me then."

"Okay, Ichigo-kun. This school sure is different from the Academy."

"I'm sure the Academy is a lot more impressive." Ichigo patted the old Shinigami on the arm in a friendly manner.

"Oh, no; I like this place." Jyuushiro nodded. "It is very nice. Shunsui and I had all our classes together so I am quite used to company."

"I'm sorry I couldn't put us together," Ichigo apologised sincerely. "They would never have believed me if I said you were any younger than eighteen. I honestly don't think they even bought that... God, how can people just enrol in this school without any identification whatsoever?"

Jyuushiro laughed, coming to a stop when Ichigo did. He tilted his head in a curious manner, studying the orange-haired male. "Is this your classroom?"

"Yeah. Let's go in; the others should be here by now."

Jyuushiro's excitement peaked as he entered the room Ichigo just entered. He smiled and looked around, nostalgic at all of the desks; he missed the days where he was young.

"Chad and Ishida are here," Ichigo said as he grabbed Ukitake's hand, pulling him along. "We'll go say hi."

"Okay."

Ichigo's two friends, Yasutora Sado and Ishida Uryuu, turned as they were approached. They looked indifferent at Ichigo, but once Jyuushiro made his presence known with a cheerful hello, they did a double take.

"Why is Ukitake-taicho wearing the school uniform?" Chad questioned.

"He's here on Rukia's orders," Ichigo explained. "He's a bit ill at the moment so Rukia doesn't want him to be overworking himself with the paperwork and stuff."

"How is bringing him to school going to help him if he's supposed to be resting?" Ishida questioned as he cleaned his glasses. "Isn't it going to cause the same stress as paperwork?"

"This will be fine." Jyuushiro smiled reassuringly. "I am a Captain, after all. It's not necessarily the paperwork that gets me when I have bouts of illness, but all of the other duties I have to perform. Please, don't think of me as fragile; it hurts my feelings when people only see my illness and not the strength I have to fight it."

Ishida frowned and looked away, uttering a small okay. Chad apologised and patted the Shinigami's arm.

"I think Rukia is just being paranoid about the paperwork anyway," Ichigo offered. "She just worries. Right, Ukitake-san?"

Jyuushiro nodded, cheerful as ever. "She is only trying to look out for my wellbeing."

"How long will you be here for?" Ishida asked.

"Oh, Captain Unohana said I have leave for two weeks at the minimum, but it depends on how well I get during that time." Ukitake pulled out a chair and sat down with the group. "Ichigo-kun didn't want to leave me home alone in case I had an attack and said I could come to school with him."

"What happens if you _do _have an attack, though?" Chad asked.

"Shunsui would know if I had an attack, and he would alert the Fourth Division. He's very in-tune to me, no matter how far apart we are. He can usually sense an attack coming before I can."

"Is it worth risking your life, though?" Ishida's voice held a hint of concern, though he would deny it if it were ever pointed out. "What if he just can't sense one coming while you are here?"

"I trust Shunsui to keep me safe." Jyuushiro's smile didn't falter at all. "We are always connected, be it through reiatsu or something else. He wouldn't let me have an attack and deny help for myself."

"I see." Chad and Ishida nodded, seemingly content with this answer.

"Ukitake-san, we should get you to your classroom," Ichigo said as he checked his watch. "Let's leave before Keigo – damn..."

At the usual scream of his name, Ichigo stepped to the side and put his arm out, effectively clotheslining his brown-haired friend. The boy fell to the ground, muttering something as a raven-haired male walked up to them, seemingly occupied on a cell-phone.

Jyuushiro instinctively leant down and helped the brunet up to his feet, asking if he was okay. He sent a concerned look at Kurosaki, not expecting the Substitute Soul Reaper to treat his friends like this. Before he could ask Ichigo why he would do something like that, the younger male grabbed him and pulled him away, seemingly in a hurry.

When they were alone in the hallway, Ukitake stopped them. "Why did you do that to him?"

"Huh?" Ichigo frowned. "With Keigo?"

"I didn't expect for you to hurt your friend like that," Jyuushiro said softly. "He was just happy to see you..."

Ichigo couldn't help but laugh. "Ukitake-san, you'll soon learn that nothing I can do to Keigo is going to hurt him in the long-run. It's kind of a thing between us now. You can ask anyone and they'll tell you that Keigo just doesn't learn."

Jyuushiro didn't look convinced but he nodded anyway. "Oh... But you really shouldn't do that; you may accidentally cause physical harm to him one day."

"He'll be fine, Ukitake-san." Ichigo started walking again. "It takes a lot more than that to hurt Keigo."

"Okay..."

Jyuushiro followed Kurosaki once again for a few minutes until they were standing outside of the classroom that Ukitake had been assigned. The white-haired man frowned before he hugged Ichigo, seemingly afraid of leaving him.

"Will you come back here to get me when it's break, Ichigo-kun?" Jyuushiro asked.

Ichigo nodded. "Just wait here for me. It'll be fine, Ukitake-san; you're a Captain, after all. Go make some new friends."

The frown that Jyuushiro had been wearing just seconds ago quickly turned into a bright smile as he nodded. "I shall. Bye, Ichigo-kun."

"See you, Ukitake-san."

Jyuushiro took a deep breath as he watched Ichigo leave before he walked into the classroom, nervous and excited at the same time. From his Academy days, he had a slight fear of not being accepted due to his peers who had avoided him due to his sickness, and it would still affect him from time to time. He just hoped he would be able to overcome his anxiety and meet new people, even if he wasn't going to be here for long.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N I forgot to mention last chapter that the whole point in these last two chapters have been to develop background information on Ukitake. I probably won't be doing any more school scenes as it will take too much time out of plot. **

When Ichigo arrived back at Jyuushiro's classroom in order to get him for recess, he was happy to see the white-haired Shinigami walking towards him with three girls clearly flirting with him. If Ukitake could tell what they were doing, he wasn't letting on.

"Your hair is so beautiful," one of the girls cooed as she grabbed a lock Jyuushiro's hair and twirled it around her finger. "It's so soft. Is it natural?"

Ichigo could tell that the girl didn't care at all about what the frail man had to say and only wanted what he could give her but, Jyuushiro being the kind of man that he was, didn't understand that he was being used.

"No; it changed colour when I was very young," Jyuushiro said, pointing to his eyebrows. "It used to be black, but my illness turned it white over a three-day period."

The three girls' eyes widened in surprise at these words. One of them questioned, in a horror-struck tone, "You're sick?!"

Jyuushiro flinched at these words but continued to smile, answering the question in a calm tone. "I was born with Tuberculosis."

Without another word, all three girls removed themselves from the gentle man's presence, a look of disgust on their faces. Ichigo glared at them before he turned back to Jyuushiro, saddened to see the look of rejection on his face.

"They're sluts, anyway, Ukitake-san..." Ichigo said as he patted the Captain on the arm. "They weren't interested in you; just what you could have given them..."

Jyuushiro shook his head as he followed Ichigo down the corridor, his eyes full of hurt. "It's not that... It's just..."

Ichigo cocked his head, willing to listen to everything the older male had to say.

"...Ever since my Academy days, everyone has treated me like a disease..." Jyuushiro shook his head at his own thoughts. "...They would... They'd try and be friends with me but, as soon as I had an attack or someone told them, they left me... It was so hard for me to make friends because everyone thought I was the plague..."

"You're not," Ichigo comforted. "I promise."

Ukitake sighed sadly. "I never really got to go out much, but Shunsui was always at the parties. I remember he tried to bring me along to one but I got kicked out before I could even step in... Shunsui turned and left with me, but he never tried to take me to the parties again. Even in the Gotei Thirteen, Shunsui and Yamamoto-sensei are really the only ones, besides Kuchiki-taicho who I mentored, who will even enter a five foot radius around me..."

Ichigo opened his mouth to reply, but Jyuushiro continued talking in a tone that just didn't suit him at all; he deserved to be happy and surrounded by friends, not being shunned because he was born with an illness that, under normal circumstances, is contagious.

"I was hoping it would be different here, where no one knew me..." Jyuushiro mumbled. "...I guess not..."

"Ukitake-san, you have me and my friends." Ichigo offered a comforting smile as he lead the older male up to the roof where he usually sat with his group. "People who can't see past your illness don't deserve to know how kind and caring a friend they are missing out on."

Jyuushiro smiled sadly. "Thank you, Ichigo-kun. I am sorry for burdening you with my problems; Shunsui is not around for me to talk to."

"It's okay." Ichigo turned back to look at where he was going. "Everyone needs someone to talk to."

Jyuushiro nodded. "Thank you for listening and for your nice words, Ichigo-kun."

"No problem."

Things were quiet between them once again until they stepped onto the roof and moved over to the small group of people already present. Ichigo eyed the Captain out of the corner of his eye, a bit saddened to see the way the elder's fist clenched in uneasiness and to hear the sharp intake of breath, but he was confident that these people would accept Jyuushiro.

"Hey, guys," Ichigo said as he sat down with the group. He sighed as Jyuushiro hovered behind him and reached out, gripping the man by the sleeve and pulling him to sit down next to him. "Everyone who doesn't know, this is Ukitake-san."

The brunet and raven boys Jyuushiro had seen earlier that morning where there along with a raven-haired female. They looked at the Shinigami curiously.

"Where'd you find him, Ichigo?" Keigo asked, turning to the orange haired male when Jyuushiro's face grew read and looked down at his lap.

"I didn't 'find' him anywhere." Ichigo scowled. "Introduce yourselves to him; he wants to make friends."

"I'm Mizuiro," the raven-haired boy said, looking down at the cell-phone that Jyuushiro had seen in his hand earlier.

"Tatsuki." The female smiled. "Nice to meet you."

"And I'm Keigo~" the brunet introduced, raising his thumb to point at himself. He reached out and zealously shook the white-haired male's hand. "It's good to have someone else in the group! Maybe you will stop everyone from being so cruel to me!"

Jyuushiro's lips curled into a shy smile. He had decided to let the incident earlier go and instead focus on these people; if they were friends of Ichigo's, surely they'd be nice. "I'm Jyuushiro. I am glad to meet you."

Ichigo passed a juice box over to the Captain, having been the one to bring everything they both needed. Jyuushiro took it with a grin, glad to be getting some liquids into him. His smile dropped, however, as he fiddled with the box, not understanding how he was supposed to drink from it.

"Ichigo-kun, I don't understand," Jyuushiro said, a dismayed expression on his face. "How am I supposed to drink it if I cannot open it?"

"You're just like Rukia," Ichigo said as he raised his own juice box, showing Jyuushiro how to put the straw in. "She struggled with them at first, too."

"Oh, you know Rukia?" Keigo grinned at the ill male. "She's a babe. Too bad we haven't seen her in like forever."

Jyuushiro tilted his head. "Ichigo-kun, what is a babe?"

Ichigo sighed. "It's alright, Ukitake-san. It's nothing to worry about."

Ukitake nodded and returned his attention on Keigo. "Yes. I have known Rukia for a very long time. She is very close to me."

"Where is she?" Tatsuki asked. Mizuiro seemed indifferent as he continued to push buttons on his phone. "Is she okay?"

"Oh, yes, quite fine." Jyuushiro's happy smile was back on his face. Ichigo was just happy to know that he was settling in with his friends and had seemingly forgotten about what had just happened. "She was quite adamant in her decision that I should spend time with Ichigo-kun, which is why I am here."

The other three Ryoka that Ukitake knew had been quietly sitting at the back, knowing that Jyuushiro would want to make friends with the other three. They didn't talk much, letting the Captain get to know the others and, when the bell rang, left him alone with Ichigo.

"What did you think of them?" Ichigo asked as they walked back down the corridors to his locker where he would pass Jyuushiro his things for the next lesson.

"Oh, they're just lovely," Jyuushiro said. "Tatsuki-san seems to be very nice; Mizuiro-san is a bit distant but polite, and Keigo-kun is very... outgoing, for lack of a better word."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Don't let it fool ya; he's a complete idiot."

Jyuushiro playfully pushed Ichigo, laughing a little. "Keigo-kun is nice. I like him."

Ichigo was glad that Jyuushiro was happy and focused only on him because those three girls that had been talking to the man must have spread rumours again, seeing as many eyes were focused solely on Jyuushiro.

"Let's hurry, okay?" Ichigo said, grabbing Ukitake's hand and pulling him along. Jyuushiro seemed confused but he didn't question Ichigo's actions.

When they arrived at Kurosaki's locker just minutes later, Jyuushiro stood by his side, looking around. He smiled politely at his fellow peers, a lot of the time receiving funny looks but on the odd occasion his smile was returned, an aura of childish glee radiated from him.

"Let's go," Ichigo said once he had closed his locker. "I'll take you to your next class."

Jyuushiro nodded. His first experience hadn't been a pleasant one, but he didn't want to let it get the best of him; he wanted to give it another go because he knew that not everyone would be like the first three girls. He knew that, even if it took some time, he would eventually meet some more nice people like Ichigo's friends. He just had to be confident and not let a few bad experiences rule his life.

_**~~Time skip~~**_

Ichigo was slightly nervous by the time the home bell rang and he was going to get Jyuushiro. The man had, once again, had another bad experience with the other students where one male had tried to take advantage of Jyuushiro's seemingly fragile appearance and bully him about his illness – but he had quickly given up when Ukitake just ignored him and focused on the text book laid out before him. As a Captain, Jyuushiro wasn't easily bothered by such petty attitudes; he had to deal with similar ones from the disrespectful members of his Division who didn't want to be led by someone so ill.

This time, however, Jyuushiro was practically bouncing his way over to Ichigo, the largest smile Kurosaki had ever seen etched onto his face.

"Ichigo-kun!" Jyuushiro cried, his eyes lit with excitement. "Ichigo-kun, I made a friend!"

Ichigo smiled for Jyuushiro's benefit, but he couldn't help but fear it was another slut out to take advantage of Ukitake's kindness. Upon hearing who it was, however, his fears died down. The girl in question had a reputation for being kind to everyone, especially those who were shunned by others.

"I'm happy for you, Ukitake-san," Ichigo said sincerely, though he couldn't help but feel a tad jealous; he didn't know why, but after spending so much time with the man, he wanted Jyuushiro to himself.

Jyuushiro smiled, happier than he had been in a while; he hadn't had an attack all day and he had made a new friend. Shunsui was the only person in his life who knew how much it meant for him to find someone who accepted him for him; illness and all.

Looks like Ukitake would have to thank Rukia for doing this for him after all.


	4. Chapter 4

**I have mostly finished the next chapter. I was wondering if you would rather me end this with them become official and a lemon, or it be longer. If you wanted it to be longer, throw some ideas at me as I don't really have many ideas left for this fic. **

"Ichigo-kun?" Jyuushiro called two days later as he woke up from his sleep. He rubbed his eyes and glanced at the clock sitting on the desk behind him. It flashed seven-past-eight, making him wonder how he could have slept in so late; he was usually awake around six if his illness hadn't been messing up.

The Captain sat up and glanced around. Ichigo was nowhere in sight. He got to his feet and left the bedroom, wondering where Kurosaki could be. Barefooted, he walked down the stairs, pulling the blue sleeping yukata tighter around him.

"You're awake."

Jyuushiro turned to the living room once he had gotten down the stairs at Ichigo's voice. He smiled at the human, glad to know that Kurosaki was still here.

"I am. I am surprised I slept so long." Jyuushiro ran a hand through his hair as he talked. "I usually wake up early if I've had good rest."

Ichigo reached out and put his hand on the other's shoulder. "You were crying out last night. You must have been having a nightmare."

The ever present smile on Jyuushiro's face vanished at these words. "...I... I have been told I have nightmares... "

"About someone named Kaien. Who's Kaien?"

"Ah..." Jūshirō reached up and rubbed the back of his head. "...He was my Lieutenant... He died..."

"I'm sorry," Ichigo said sincerely. "You must miss him."

Ukitake nodded. "I do..."

"It's the weekend; we should go and see a movie or something." Ichigo knew he should have been doing his homework, but he also knew Jūshirō needed some time out.

"A... movie...?" Jūshirō tilted his head in curiosity. "What's a movie?"

"It's like a book, but with moving pictures." Ichigo grabbed the Captain's hand and pulled him back up the stairs. "I think you'll like them."

Heading back into his room, Ichigo grabbed money off his desk and shoved it into his pocket. He pointed to Ukitake's bag sitting by his bed, silently gesturing for the other to change. He left the room, giving Jūshirō privacy until the frail Shinigami joined him minutes later, wearing slacks and a black polo shirt.

"How do I look, Ichigo-kun?" Jūshirō smiled as he stood before the teenager. "Do I look good?"

Ichigo couldn't help but blush and nod. "You do. Let's go, alright?"

Jūshirō was gleeful as he followed the younger out of the house and into the town. As usual, he was easily startled by cars; having no previous experience with them made him hypersensitive to their high speeds.

When they arrived, however, Jūshirō was slightly overwhelmed by the amount of people in the building. He kept his head down and stayed by Ichigo, not sure if he wanted to be noticed or not. He was so deep in thought by the time Ichigo was buying them something called 'tickets', he almost didn't notice the human talking to him.

"Sorry?" Ukitake said, looking down to make eye-contact with Ichigo.

"I asked if you wanted popcorn." Ichigo pointed to a very strange box-like thing Jūshirō had never seen before. There was white stuff inside it, and it was popping very loudly.

"Oh." Jūshirō smiled, not knowing what it was but deciding it smelled very appetising. "Okay."

Ichigo nodded, handing over money and receiving several boxes and what seemed to be papery cups in return. Jūshirō accepted the boxes that were handed to him, sniffing at them curiously as a delicious new aroma wafted from them.

"What's in this, Ichigo-kun?" Jūshirō asked, tilting his head towards the boxes.

"The popcorn is in there," Ichigo explained as they stopped before a man and handed him two slips of paper before they continued on. "I think you'll like it. It's in this room here, Ukitake-san."

Jūshirō followed behind happily as they walked behind two large swinging doors. He was almost startled by how dark it had suddenly become, his instincts telling him that this was a bad place to be if he couldn't make out who was around him properly, but he trusted Ichigo and continued to follow.

They walked down a few rows of chairs before Ichigo moved in between them, moving to the middle of the row. He sat down, gesturing for Ukitake to do the same. He handed the older male his drink and took his popcorn, settling down to watch the previews until the movie started.

Jūshirō was looking around curiously, never having thought that something like this could exist. "Ichigo-kun, this is really amazing. Will the – I-ichigo-kun!"

Ichigo quickly reached out and grabbed Jūshirō's shoulder, holding him still as the other male started to panic at the sudden noise of the previews starting. He supposed it would be frightening for such loud things to happen around someone who was always around danger.

"Ukitake-san, it's okay," Ichigo soothed, gently pulling the pale hands away from Jūshirō's ears. "It's just the previews, okay? It's alright; there's no danger here."

Jūshirō didn't smile back; instead, he eyed the screen as if it were going to explode. He nodded, his body tense and quivering. He tried to take Ichigo's word for it, knowing that the human would understand what was happening better than he could and, if he said it was safe, than it was safe.

It took a few more minutes for Kurosaki to calm the older Shinigami down, but it was worth it; Jūshirō snuggled in against Ichigo, looking up at the screen with curious eyes, not understanding how pictures were moving like this.

Ichigo knew that Jūshirō wanted to question this but, for whatever reason, the ill Captain remained quiet, staring transfixed as the movie started to play.

Half of the movie had passed by without incident. That was, until one of the characters died. Ichigo thought nothing of the way a secondary character had gone insane and tried to kill their friend and was instead was slain by someone else, but it triggered something in Jūshirō he worked hard every day to not think about.

Jūshirō whimpered and wrapped his arms around himself, his eyes wide and full of fear. Ichigo frowned and placed his arm on the elder's shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Ichigo asked in a soft tone, trying not to disturb anyone else around them. His worry grew when Ukitake didn't even acknowledge his existence. "Ukitake-san?"

"K-kaien..." Jūshirō whimpered, a single tear slipping down his cheek.

"Shit." Ichigo stood up and pulled at Jūshirō's sleeve. He was glad when the other followed him, albeit unconsciously; the Shinigami was shivering as if he were standing in snow and more tears followed the first couple. He sat down on a bench when he was pushed onto it, but he didn't show any recognition of what was going on around him.

"Ukitake-san, what's wrong?" Ichigo asked, sitting next to the older Shinigami. "Are you okay?"

It took a few minutes of calling and shaking Jūshirō before he turned to the orange-haired human. He blinked, not sure what to think; was Kaien... still alive...?

"K-kaien..." Jūshirō whimpered, leaning over to fall onto the other's lap. He buried his face in Ichigo's chest, gripping the white shirt the boy wore tightly. He sobbed, unaware of who he was truly talking to, just relieved to have his lover back with him. "Kaien, I... Y-you came back to me..."

Ichigo looked confused before he remembered what the older male had confided in him. Did he really look so much like this Kaien person? Everyone else seemed to mistake him for Kaien on occasion, but why was... someone like _Ukitake _blinded of the reality that Kaien was _dead...?_

"Ukitake-san, I..." Ichigo didn't know what to do; should he upset and stress Jūshirō further by saying that he _wasn't _Kaien, or should he humour him and go along with it? Such hard decisions... "...Ukitake-san, I... I-I'm not –"

Before Ichigo could say anything more, his lips were covered by chapped, hot ones. His eyes widened at this, horrified at what Jūshirō was doing to him. ...But why did it feel so _right...?_ Without thinking, he pushed back on the lips, unconsciously deepening it. Ukitake's lips parted, giving Ichigo entrance. The orange-haired male took this opportunity, despite never having done something like this before and knowing full-well he was taking advantage of the Captain.

When they broke apart, Jūshirō stared at Ichigo with eyes filled with such unfathomable pain. Ichigo couldn't help but reach out and pull the male closer to him, holding him against his chest.

"Let's go home," Ichigo whispered, feeling the Captain nod in response.

With that said, Ichigo helped Jūshirō back to his feet and lead the younger home, knowing that Ukitake still wasn't quite back in reality just yet. He couldn't imagine how much pain Jūshirō was suffering by himself.


	5. Chapter 5

Night had arrived, and Jyuushiro was sitting on Ichigo's bed, his eyebrows furrowed. He had come back to his senses, and he knew he had kissed Ichigo. ...But why had Kurosaki returned it...? Could it be that the orange-haired teenager had feelings for him? But even if that were the case, Jyuushiro loved _Kaien! _...Right...? But... if he really loved his past lover, he wouldn't have kissed someone else...

Jyuushiro felt like crying. He felt so confused and conflicted, as if he had betrayed Kaien's love. But he also felt as if he were feeling something for Ichigo. Shunsui had told him countless times that he needed to move on and find a new partner, but he had never listened, wanting no one but Kaien.

"Ukitake-san...?" Ichigo poked his head in through the door, looking at the Captain with worry in his eyes. "Ukitake-san, you've been up here ever since we came back. How are you feeling?"

Jyuushiro shook his head, rubbing at his itching eyes. "...I... I-ichigo-kun... May I ask you something personal...?"

Ichigo nodded as he moved to sit on the bed beside the taller man. "What is it?"

"..." Jyuushiro looked back at his lap. He hoped he wasn't going to delve into anything too personal, but he desperately wanted to sort his feelings out. "...Have you ever felt like you're betraying someone you love...?"

Ichigo thought about the question, but he wasn't sure on how to answer it. "...What kind of betrayal, Ukitake-san?"

"...Like... You love someone so much, and... they were your partner, but... they passed away... A-and now you feel as if you're having those feelings for someone else..."

"Ukitake-san, I've never been in that situation, but I do know that if that's the situation, you should go for it. It's no use pushing everyone away for someone who died. Besides; I'm sure that person would want you to move on and be happy instead of staying in the one place, never truly living because you can't let go."

"...That's what Shun said..." Jyuushiro whispered. "...But... I-it's so hard... Ichigo-kun... I... How... do you... feel... about me...?"

"Well..." Ichigo frowned as he considered this. "...Before you came here, you were someone I respected greatly. But... ever since you confided in me that you've been bullied and stuff, I've found myself feeling more... I don't know – _protective _of you, or something like that. ...Would you hate me if I told you I find you attractive?"

Jyuushiro shook his head. "Of course not, Ichigo-kun. It's okay to think that way about other people."

Ichigo glanced sideways, trying to act indifferent. "Good. Because it's not like I'd act on it or anything..."

Jyuushiro smiled in a knowing manner. He had a feeling that the orange-haired male was shy when it came to relationships, and he also knew that Ichigo had never been in one before. He wondered if the younger male had ever kissed someone before apart from what had happened in the cinema, and he soon found himself wanting Ichigo to kiss him because the teenager _wanted _to.

"...I-ichigo-kun...?" Jyuushiro had to admit that _he _was a little shy himself, but that wasn't going to stop him this time. "...Ichigo-kun, will you... Do you want to kiss me...?"

Ichigo blushed as he looked away. He shrugged, his indifferent act slipping. "...If you want me to..."

"I do." Jyuushiro smiled. "...Please...?"

Ichigo nodded and lifted his face, pressing his lips against the pale ones. He felt Jyuushiro smile into their kiss, and he felt as if he were doing the right thing; it had been wrong of him to deny feeling these things for the Captain who was suffering from loneliness.

Jyuushiro, for the first time since Kaien's death, finally felt at peace. He opened his mouth, allowing Ichigo entrance, and their tongues soon fought against each other before Kurosaki slipped past the hot muscle and instead probed the wet cavern, tasting all of Jyuushiro.

As expected, Jyuushiro pulled away a few seconds later as he tried to draw in sharp breaths, his illness making the task of kissing harder for him than it was for anyone else with good lung conditions.

"I-ichigo-kun..." Jyuushiro mumbled, his pants feeling tighter now than they had been before they started kissing. "...Ichigo-kun, may I...?"

Ichigo wasn't exactly sure what Ukitake was asking for, but he nodded anyway; he couldn't resist the way Jyuushiro's eyes were half-lidded and a string of saliva hung down his chin.

With a small smile, Jyuushiro got to his knees and reached out, grabbing the belt that was keeping Ichigo's blue jeans up. He then reached out and unbuttoned them before he slid them down strong legs slowly.

"A-are you sure...?" Jyuushiro looked up at Ichigo, reassured only by the hand that soon tangled in his white locks.

The Captain lowered the white underwear that Ichigo had been wearing, freeing the semi-interested member from its confines. He smiled, feeling at ease with the act that had once been a part of his daily life back with Kaien, and took the shaft into his mouth.

Ichigo cried out at the new sensation, bucking his hips into Jyuushiro's hot cavern. Ukitake took it without a problem, having grown used to the rough treatment Kaien would inflict upon him.

"Ukitake-san...!" Ichigo gasped. He moaned loudly at the feeling of a wet tongue lapping against him like a kitten with milk. "U-ukitake-san...!"

Jyuushiro removed his mouth, looking up at Ichigo with lustful eyes. He reached his hand down and dropped his own pants, pulling himself out of his underwear. He ran his hand along his hard length, as he batted his long eyelashes at Kurosaki. "Ichigo-kun... Call me Jyuushiro..."

"J-jyuushiro..." Ichigo's voice was breathless as he rubbed himself along the pale Shinigami's lips, trailing pre-cum along them. "...Jyuushiro..."

Jyuushiro lowered his face to Ichigo's groin once again, his tongue licking against the human's testicles. He dragged the wet muscle along the underside of the shaft, leaving paths of saliva along it.

"Jyuushiro..."

Once again, Jyuushiro's tongue returned back to its resting place as the Shinigami spoke. "Will you make love to me, Ichigo-kun?"

Ichigo only had to take one look at the way Jyuushiro's hand was stroking himself slowly before his mouth went dry and he nodded, unable to form any comprehensible words.

Jyuushiro smiled. "You don't have to worry about preparing me; I just need to use my mouth a bit more and I'll be ready."

Ichigo didn't complain as that talented mouth closed around him once more, covering him with saliva. He felt the male's free hand reach up, rubbing at testes, squeezing at them occasionally.

"Ichigo-kun..." Jyuushiro pulled his mouth away, moaning seductively as he pulled his hand away from his own member. He pulled his shirt off and moved over to Kurosaki's bed, lying down on the mattress with his legs spread wide, inviting the younger inside of him.

Ichigo didn't need further request, pouncing on the skinner male as he lined himself up with Jyuushiro's opening, pressing his tip against the tight hole.

"Please, penetrate me..." Jyuushiro whispered, his voice husky with lust. "...I need it..."

Ichigo nodded, pressing inside of the older male almost immediately. He was rough, understandable as it was his first time, but Jyuushiro didn't complain; it just made him feel more at ease, something else Ichigo had in common with Kaien.

Ichigo was kind enough to hold still once he was buried to the hilt, but Jyuushiro didn't find it necessary; he instead pulled his knees to his chest, resting his ankles either side of the teenager's head, wriggling his lower half in an effort to make Ichigo move.

"Ichigo-kun..." Jyuushiro moaned. "Please..."

Ichigo didn't hesitate, moving in rough and uncoordinated manners, drawing nothing but pained moans at first. However, it didn't take him long to find Jyuushiro's special spot, rewarded instead with cries and yowls of pain-filled pleasure.

Ichigo increased the strength he was using until he was pounding the older male viciously. "J-jyuushiro... You're so t-tight...!"

Tears slipped down Jyuushiro's cheeks as the pleasure overwhelmed him, knowing that he couldn't last much longer.

"I-ichigo-kun...!" Jyuushiro all but sobbed. "I-I... I'm almost... there...!"

"Me, too..." Ichigo muttered, panting with the effort this was taking out of him. "Me, too..."

Considering that Jyuushiro was much more experienced than Ichigo, it was surprising that he had come first, but it had been a long time since he had had sex. His walls tightened around Ichigo as he rode out his orgasm, milking the orange-haired male to the last drop.

The two males panted together, Jyuushiro's eyes half-lidded as he wrapped his arms around the human who was now collapsed on his chest.

Ichigo instead rolled out of the embrace and onto Jyuushiro's side. "Roll over."

Jyuushiro did as asked, his back against Ichigo's chest. He smiled sleepily as he was held in a protective manner, such feelings he had not felt in many years.

"I think..." Jyuushiro mumbled as he felt himself falling asleep in Ichigo's arms, "...I think I might stay here longer..."

"Sounds good," Ichigo muttered, falling into oblivion.

Jyuushiro purred until he followed the younger into the darkness, his smile plastered on his face as he slept. He had to remember to give Rukia a promotion when he returned back to Soul Society.


End file.
